A Japanese citizen working in Hong Kong for a Japanese multinational would be classified as:

a.

A host country national (HCN)

c.

A parent country national (PCN)

b.

A third country national (TCH)

d.

A related country national (RCN)

Human Resource Management (HRM) activities include all of the below EXCEPT:

a.

Human resource planning

c.

Personal family planning

b.

Performance management

d.

Training and development

International HRM is reflected in:

a.

The need for a narrower perspective

c.

The need for a judgmental perspective

b.

The need for a short term perspective

d.

The need for a broader perspective

As a foreign subsidiary matures:

a.

The local HR unit’s responsibilities for planning, training and compensation would broaden

b.

The responsibilities of planning, training and compensation would narrow

c.

The local HR unit’s responsibilities for planning, training and compensation would stay the same

d.

The local HR unit’s responsibility for planning, training and compensation would end

SHORT ANSWER

What are the 3 broad approaches for international human resource management and how do they relate to each other?

What are the 3 categories of employees in an international firm?

What are at least 2 types of risk exposure that international companies incur that domestic companies are not as liable to incur?

Why is an awareness of cultural differences important in an international company?

What is the difference between a multidomestic industry and a global industry?

CHAPTER 2: The Cultural Context of IHRM

TRUE/FALSE

The first contributions to cross-cultural management research were made in the late 1930s.

Unforeseen conflicts and lower performance in many foreign business enterprises created doubts about how easily concepts and management research from the English speaking world could be transferred to other cultures.

One of the advantages of cross cultural studies is that there is one, widely accepted definition of the meaning of culture.

Hansen emphasizes culture as the standardization – the consistency of collective behavior.

Hofstede the Dutch researcher, famously likens or company’s culture to the “software of the mind”.

Schein considers “artefacts” as the invisible and unconscious conventions and perceptions deeply held by members on a culture.

There may be large similarities of the artefact level within the European Union, but values and assumptions held by members of various nations in the EU may differ significantly.

Cross cultural management studies aim to describe and compare the working behavior in various cultures.

The extent to which individual initiative and responsibility to close family is valued in society as contrasted to group initiative and responsibility to an extended definition of family as socially valued

c.

The extent to which individuals relate to the government as opposed to individuals being alienated from their government

d.

The extent to which individual achievements are socially recognized and rewarded as opposed to recognition of wider social collectives – groups, organizations, etc.

Under Confucianism dynamics, orientations can be either:

a.

Long-term or short-term

c.

Adaptable or subordinate

b.

Paternal or individualistic

d.

Political or idealistic

According to the results of the Hofstede study:

a.

U.S. culture is characterized more by collectivity behavior, unlike Anglo Saxon countries such as Australia or the United Kingdom

b.

U.S. culture is characterized more by collectivity behavior, like Anglo Saxon countries such Australia or the United Kingdom

c.

U.S. culture is characterized more by individualist behavior, unlike Anglo Saxon countries such as Australia or the United Kingdom.

d.

U.S. culture is characterized more by individualist behavior, like Anglo Saxon countries such as Australia or the United Kingdom.

According to Hofstede, some Asian cultures such as Singapore and Hong Kong:

a.

Score low on uncertainty avoidance and low on power distance

b.

Score low on uncertainty avoidance and high on power distance

c.

Score high on uncertainty avoidance and low on power distance

d.

Score high on uncertainty avoidance and low on power distance

The cultural context impacts HRM practices:

a.

Not at all

b.

Only in the HR practice areas of Compensational Task Distribution

c.

In the HR practice areas of Recruitment, Selection, Training and Development, Compensation and Task Distribution

d.

Only in the HR practice areas of Training and Development and Task Distribution

Hofstede identifies a strong tendency or masculinity with a high tendency for uncertainty avoidance in:

a.

The Scandinavian cluster

c.

The German speaking cluster

b.

The Asian Tigers clusters

d.

The Gallic cluster

Hofstede’s approach to cross cultural management research:

a.

Has been the subject of ongoing debate and criticism.

b.

Has been largely ignored by other researches

c.

Has been almost universally accepted

d.

Has not been integrated into a wide range of alternative cross cultural research projects

Which of the following would be considered in the risk assessment category of in-facility security?

a.

Protocol for evacuation

c.

The sabotage of software systems

b.

Bomb threat procedures

d.

Providing portable 5 minute air packs

What does stabilizing risk through “harden” processes in the value chain mean?

a.

To recruit people with capabilities and skills relevant to identified risk assessments

b.

Replacing people with machines to ensure seniority protocols

c.

Recruiting security specialist rather than functional experts

d.

Eliminating at-risk steps in the value chain

What would be considered a NGO?

a.

Red Cross

c.

Audi

b.

Wal-Mart

d.

NATO

It is generally agreed internationally that the one thing that can most readily undermine equity, efficiency and integrity in the public service, undercut public confidence in markets, add cost to products and effects the safety and well-being of the general public is:

a.

Bribery

c.

Sabotage

b.

Facilitating payments

d.

Cyber-terrorism

The field of international human resource management has been regarded as :

a.

A long standing cornerstone of business studies

b.

Necessary in the MNE schools

c.

A marginal academic area

d.

Problematic

Multinational chief executives report terrorism:

a.

Is not a significant threat to business growth, nor a threat to other organizations

b.

Is a significant threat to business growth, but is not a threat to their organizations

c.

Is not a significant threat to business growth , but is a threat to their organization

d.

Is a significant threat to business growth and a significant threat to their organization

Research in the field of HRM:

a.

Is relatively cheap and straightforward and simple

b.

Is relatively expensive, yet straight forward and simple

c.

Is relatively expensive and complicated

d.

Is relatively cheap and uninteresting to most researchers

A working set of corporate risk assessment categories – a starting point for a MNE specific risk audit: